Loving An Angel
by Irishlass18
Summary: He was the supportive friend but after the pain of losing Go Minam how could he expect to love again?Months later he feels that this new, strange,but beautiful,woman's feelings for him are not sincere,especially since he looks so much like her dead husband.But somehow she's come into his mind and made herself a part of his world;could she also make her way into his heart?
1. Open Your Eyes

_I only own the original character. Everything else is from the wonderful Korean drama "You're Beautiful." _

* * *

The song he was studying had a melancholic melody, but that was not surprising considering that had become a tendency of late. Although it had been some time since his heart had been rejected, and many things had happened between then and now, he still felt drawn towards melancholy. He kept a smile on his face when around the others, he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, but inside he still felt the absence of love.

"Shin Woo?"

The dark haired man looked up and smiled when he saw Go Mi Nyu standing hesitantly in the doorway. His heart didn't lurch as much at the sight of her now, but there was still a slight pause between beats. She had come the closest to his true heart, unknowingly capturing his soul, only to choose another. He was glad that she was happy now, even if Tae Kyung didn't always appear to appreciate her the way she should be. However, her presence only helped to remind him of how alone he truly was.

"Hey." He gestured for her to come into the studio where he sat.

She glanced over her shoulder for a brief moment then shuffled inside. As he watched her come closer, he knew that there was something she urgently wanted to discuss but obviously didn't quite know how to start. He had always found her nervousness adorable and so didn't press her to talk even after she sat fidgeting for a few moments. He merely went back to studying the sheet music in front of him and absently strummed at his guitar.

"Shin Woo." Her voice finally broke through the silence some time later.

He smiled, continuing to pick at his strings, "Yes?"

"Um," her voice faltered and he looked up to find her gaze darting all over the room in her search for words, "Well you see," she frowned and scratched the back of her head, "that is to say," she sighed and dropped her head, "um…" Her voice trailed off as she continued to fidget and wring her hands.

Suddenly the door flew open and Tae Kyung stood there, glaring down his nose at the both of them. "What Go MI Nyu is trying to say is, 'Why are you sitting here alone when a woman who loves you obviously isn't?'" He sniffed indignantly then gestured towards Go Mi Nyu, "Let's go."

"Just a minute." Go Mi Nyu shooed at Tae Kyung who in turn frowned but shrugged and promptly left the two of them alone again. Go Mi Nyu looked back to Shin Woo and sighed. "That is what I was trying to say."

Shin Woo raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"Huh?" Go Mi Nyu looked surprised. "You mean to tell me you didn't know that Angel loves you?"

Shin Woo barely kept his face passive as he set aside his guitar. He had tried his hardest to not think about her in all honesty. Every time her face came to mind he grew uncomfortable and something inside his gut twisted. He didn't want to analyze the source of his discomfort. He didn't want to think about her, period. Because every time he thought about her that sliver of foolish hope that had kept him trailing after Go Mi Nyu for so long would surface, except this time the hope was directed towards Angel. Out of fear of another rejection, he was content to remain inside his melancholy.

"Go Mi Nyu, I'm sure that while Angel had an obvious affection for me I don't think we should allow ourselves to believe that she felt anything more than a familiarity with me." He sighed, barely keeping the pain from his voice. "I reminded her of her dead husband; that is all."

Go Mi Nyu frowned, "How can you say that? What about when you went with her back to her home town for Joo Yeon's death anniversary? Didn't she talk to you about him then? She's always been so honest with you! How could you doubt her after that?"

Shin Woo closed his eyes and allowed the bittersweet memory to surface.


	2. Dopplegangers and Sunrises

_She stood by the water, fingering the smooth rocks cradled in her hands. The setting sun was before her, causing her to squint. The brilliant yellows and oranges gave the world around them a soft glow. His car sat silently behind them in, its engine cold now. He glanced around and though the situation he found himself in was a uncomfortable, he found the setting of this place quite peaceful. The river was lazy, the tall grass waved slightly with the breeze, and there was no one around to bother either of them. He would have to remember this place next time he came home to visit, since it wasn't too far away._

_He still couldn't believe that he stood here beside her, on her husband's death anniversary. He'd been visiting his family when Go Mi Nyu had called him, frantic for his help. Apparently Angel was stranded in the middle of the nowhere with a now dead phone and only he had been close enough to rescue her and take her to her in-laws. He'd been reluctant to help, for obvious reasons, but then once he drove up to find her silently crying beside her dead car he knew that he'd done the right thing. _

_Shin woo shook his head as he remembered the previous events of the day. He'd only meant to drop her off and come back to pick her up after the ceremonies, but then one of her in-laws had seen him and promptly fallen off the side of the patio and cracked his skull open due to the shock. As the only one with a vehicle in the immediate vicinity, Shin woo had to take him to the ER. Things only got more complicated when the rest of her in-laws met them there and at least two others fainted upon sight of him. For most of the rest of the day he was with her in-laws, shuffling people around between their home and the ER, all the while trying to remain composed. It had been difficult since all around him people saw their dead family member in his face. At least Angel had kept calm and tried to keep a smile on her face. _

"_Thank you for today," she finally spoke, her gaze not leaving the sun, a soft smile playing at her lips, "I know you didn't have to bring me here, especially after the craziness of today, but I thank you for being willing to do so." She looked at him for a moment then turned her face back towards the sunset. "I am sorry about the chaos earlier, but," She gave him a shy smile. "I honestly don't think I could've made it through today if it weren't for you."_

"_I would think that my presence would've made today harder for you."_

"_At first I thought it would too." She looked down at the rocks in her hands. "But then as the day wore on and every time I felt like I couldn't handle it anymore, I'd see you and, for some reason, seeing you reminded me that if I've come this far, surely I can make it further."_

_He glanced down at his feet where he pushed a few of the rocks around. "I'm just sorry that I was the cause of so many problems today."_

"_No, please don't take the blame. It was the same misunderstanding that I had when I first saw you." She smiled at him before she positioned herself and let loose a rock. He watched it skip gracefully across the water's surface. _

_"I don't remember you fainting or splitting your head open." Shin woo gave a slight smile when he heard her chuckle._

_She shook her head, "No, but I was hyperventilating and screaming bloody murder in my head. You're just lucky that I've had so many years of training with what to do with panic attacks or else I would have been heading to ER on my first day with you also."_

_"I'm sorry there is such a resemblance that you and your in-laws are so uncomfortable."_

_"Oh no, don't worry, like me, my in-laws saw the obvious differences between the two of you after they were around you long enough."_

"_Really?" He shoved his hands in his pockets, fighting against the chill in the air as well as the slight discomfort he always felt whenever she talked about his look alike, her dead husband._

"_Apart from his being slightly taller and broader than you, with a different hair style, and of course the scars he got from his accident," she skipped another rock, "you are more reserved than he ever was. You are more of an observer and if there was one thing Joo Yeon was rarely good at it was observing in silence." She chuckled as she let loose another rock._

_He nodded, staying silent. As he watched her, he thought back over everything that had brought them to this moment in time. If someone had asked him a year ago where he thought he'd be right now he never in his wildest dreams would've answered, "Standing on a deserted river's edge with a woman whose husband had looked like me and died a year before. Oh and the woman also happens to be one of the most open and honest women I've ever met and never ceases to catch me off guard." _

_Ever since he'd first met her, he'd felt both drawn and repelled by her. Her open and warm spirit was comforting and yet her brutal honesty and assertive nature never allowed for misunderstandings or ambivalence. Within weeks of first meeting him, after she'd recovered from the shock of his appearance, she had honestly explained to him why she would prefer to not be around him due to his similarities to her husband. _

_Weeks later, after the rest of the band repeatedly pushed them together, she finally gave in and told him she would prefer to be friends than fight everyone else. From that time on, she had always honestly told him her opinion of him and how she felt towards him. Every time he made her uncomfortable, every time she couldn't handle being around him, etc. Not being used to such openness, he was understandably repelled by this and yet, as he watched her charm those around him, including a part of himself, he couldn't help but be drawn towards her._

"_Do you know how to do this?" She held up one of the flat rocks she'd gathered earlier._

_He shook his head. "No. I lived in the city by the ocean."_

"_Yes," she smiled, "I don't suppose it'd be very easy to skip rocks on the ocean." She tossed him a rock. "Come here and I'll show you."_

_He hesitated briefly then came closer. He always tried to keep his distance, physically as well as emotionally. Not just for her sake but for his own as well. He saw in her character the type of woman he wanted to be with, and yet he knew he couldn't be with her. Other than the obvious reason that his career as a singer didn't quite mesh with her career as a celebrity counselor, he also didn't like the idea of looking like her dead husband. How could he ever trust her sincerity with that in mind?_

"_You hold the rock like this," she carefully demonstrated, "then you pull your arm back like this and quickly pull it forward, rotating your wrist as you do so." She went through the motions slowly first then repeated them quickly and let loose another rock. When she turned back towards him with a bright smile, he quickly focused on his own rock. "Now you try."_

_He mimicked her earlier motions but frowned when, instead of skipping gracefully across the surface like hers had, it quickly sunk to the bottom with a plop. He glanced over at her and sighed when he saw her chuckling._

"_It's okay Shin Woo. At least yours hit the water. When I first taught Joo Yeon his didn't even make it that far. I don't know how he managed it but his went backwards in that direction." She pointed over his shoulder towards the grass._

_He bent and picked up another rock, "You came here with him then?" If it was at all possible he was even more uncomfortable than before._

"_One day he got it in his head that we could watch the sunset and sunrise in the same place and so he brought me here." She chuckled and shook her head. "I suppose he wasn't very good at understanding the position of the sun in relation to this location."_

_Shin Woo nodded. While the sunset could be clearly seen, due to the surrounding area, the sunrise was close to impossible to see clearly._

"_That's why you brought your sleeping bag and camping gear?" He gestured towards the bundle of items sitting next to his car. "You want to stay and watch the nonexistent sunrise?"_

"_I don't expect you to stay with me Shin Woo." She quickly interjected. "I know you probably already feel horribly uncomfortable, what with this being his death anniversary and me waxing poetic thinking about our brief time together. You can just come back and pick me up in the morning if you don't mind."_

_Shin Woo was quiet as he pondered his thoughts and feelings. He supposed if he were in her shoes he would probably act similarly, and more than likely not want to be alone. He couldn't blame her for her honesty, nor could he blame her for loving her husband even after such a brief marriage and a year after death. He sighed and shook his head as he positioned himself again._

"_No I'll stay."_

_He wasn't prepared for the bright smile on her face that showed in it all the love he was sure she'd felt for her husband. The intensity of her expression made him falter and again his rock sunk to the bottom. After chuckling again, she reached out and placed another rock in his hand then cradled his hand in her own. He kept his face passive as he listened to her instruction and watched her work his fingers and hand into the correct position._

"_You pull it back like this," she stepped behind him slightly so she could pull his arm back, "then pull it forward as you cock your wrist." She stepped closer and he felt her chest press up against his back as she pushed his arm forward and twisted his wrist correctly. He closed his eyes. He could smell her shampoo and the light fragrance of lilac, the bottle Go Mi Nyu had bought her for her birthday a few weeks back. Her body was warm against his and he tried to keep himself from stiffening in tension and relaxing in pleasure. If only she was someone else, someone free of the memories of her dead husband, someone who he had the freedom to love. _

_Perhaps sensing the discomfort she was causing from where she was standing, she stepped back quickly and he followed through the motions, this time smiling when his rock managed a few skips before sinking. She clapped her hands then bent and picked up some more rocks. They continued to skip rocks until the sun got lower in the sky. Together they made a fire and spread out the gear, sharing the food she'd prepared earlier before settling down and staring up at the stars._

"_Shin Woo."_

_He glanced across the fire, "Yes?"_

"_I don't want you to think that I only see Joon Yeon in you."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_He heard her rustling and so looked over again and found her staring at him from across the fire, "Maybe when I first met you I was always trying to find pieces of him inside you and so never felt comfortable around you and always feared being near you. But now, I don't know when it happened, whenever I look at you I see you as Shin Woo, not as a man who happens to look like my husband."_

"_I see." He looked back up to the stars, not quite sure what to say._

"_Do you?" She questioned in return. "What I'm trying to tell you now Shin Woo is the friendship and affection that I feel towards you are not because you look like a man I loved. They are there because of your character, because of who you are." She flopped back onto her back and sighed. "I just wanted you to know that."_

_He didn't reply. When he did finally come up with something to say he glanced across the embers of the fire to see that she was asleep. He sighed. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to feel free to allow his feelings towards her to grow. Yet, perhaps it was partly due to the wounds of the Go Mi Nyu incident and perhaps it was greatly due to Angel's own past, but he still felt too strongly the fear of pain that a relationship with her might bring._

_He drifted in and out of fitful sleep, always aware of the fact that as soon as the fire died out he grew exceedingly cold. He only had his jacket to keep him warm while Angel had her sleeping bag. He wasn't about to complain though. If he truly wanted to he could go back into the car and sleep there._

_"Hey," he opened his eyes to find Angel's form outlined against the stars above them, "I can hear your teeth chattering for over there." Before he could say anything, he felt more than saw her settle down beside him and again even as he began to protest he felt her spread half of her unzipped sleeping bag over his body. "This is for me just as much as it's for you."_

_He could decline her already made offer and retreat to the car, keeping a good distance between them emotionally and physically. But now that the warmth of the sleeping bag began to relax his previously tense muscles, he found that he really didn't want to brave the cold again. So instead of keeping up his aloof nature, he murmured a thank you to the already sleeping Angel and rolled over._

_He didn't remember anything for the rest of the night but he was certainly aware of her sprawled across his chest when he woke just before dawn the following morning. He wasn't about to deny how good it felt to have someone close beside him when waking, in fact, with her lying like she was, he could feel all her womanly curves nestled close against him and that was definitely pleasant. But the fact that it was Angel made him stiffen. He didn't know how alert she was when she woke. If she was like Go Mi Nyu then just about anything could happen when she woke up to find herself sleeping in the arms of her husband's look alike._

_Shin woo grunted as he tried to extract himself from beneath her. He knew her alarm was set to go off at any minute and really didn't want to be found beneath her. Of course right when he reached for her upper arm she moved and he ended up grabbing her breast which of course was the exact moment her alarm went off and her eyes popped open. Shin woo didn't move, he was too afraid too, while Angel looked down at his hand, down at her body currently sprawled over his body, then up at the sky. When she looked back at him she looked quite amused._

_"I'm not going to call you a pervert if you forgive me for sleeping on top of you."_

_Shin woo jerked back and rolled away, "I'm not a pervert. It isn't what you think!"_

_"I'm sure it isn't," she chuckled as she stood up and faced him, "because it never is."_

_Shin woo raked a hand through his hair, not aware of the fact that he caused it to spike up in every direction. He was about to give her another retort but was startled into silence when he felt her hands combing his hair back into submission. She dropped her hands after they'd accomplished their mission and gave his shoulder a pat._

_"Don't worry about it Shin woo, I know it was an accident." She gave him another smile then gestured over her shoulder, "Care to join me for breakfast while we watch the nonexistent sunrise?"_

_He couldn't find any words to use and so only dumbly nodded. She was an enigma. An attractive one, but he knew that allowing her to get close to him would only cause him heartache eventually._


	3. Not What You Think

"Shin Woo."

He opened his eyes and turned to see Go Mi Nyu staring at him in concern. He'd obviously been reliving the memory for a bit longer than he'd expected.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?" He gave her a soft smile as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"I was telling you about how we all saw her falling in love with you. It was so obvious from the way she always made time for you, how she always went out of her way to help you or do things for you-"

He interrupted her, "That sounds more like a friend than a lover Go Mi Nyu."

"I wasn't finished." Her voice held more strength in it and so Shin Woo relaxed back into his chair and let her continue despite his inner reservations on the topic. "Do you know what really happened with Lee?"

Shin Woo leaned forward at the mention of the actor's name, "You mean other than the fact that though you say Angel loves me she's been having an affair with him?"

"She's not having an affair with him!" Go Mi Nyu growled, rubbing a hand across her face. "She only allowed all that publicity to happen because she knew it would protect you from scandal."

"What do you mean?" He was truly intrigued.

"You remember Lee's sister, Hwo Yong?" Shin Woo nodded. "I'm sure you remember she was quite obsessed with you." Shin Woo didn't have to think very hard to remember how the fanatic had cornered him in the club and all but raped him and then when they'd been caught by Lee and Angel, Hwo Yong had accused him of trying to rape her instead. "In any case, Lee used this as leverage to get her to go out with him. He said he'd ruin your career with the pictures he took of the bruises found on Hwo Yong's body, along with her testimony against you, if Angel didn't agree to be with him."

Shin Woo was floored. Was that why Angel had been so withdrawn and gloomy instead of her usual chipper self the past few months? He had tried to ignore her any time she'd approached him but he hadn't been able to overlook her loss of weight or the lack of color in her complexion. He'd just chalked it up to her feeling guilty over leading him on and then dropping him for Lee. Now, with this information, the whole situation changed.

"How do you know all this?" he clenched his fists under his arms but somehow managed to keep his voice even.

Go Mi Nyu smiled, "My brother is quite good at finding out things and, with Manager Ma's help, they managed to get Angel good and drunk and wheedled the general story out of her. Then Jeremy, Tae Kyung and I did our own research and found out everything."

"Does Lee or Angel know that you know all this?"

Go Mi Nyu shook her head, "No. That's why she's still with him right now, as far as I know. She doesn't know of any other way to protect you."

Shin Woo closed his eyes as he recalled their last encounter.


	4. Tearful Confessions

"_Please." Her voice was tear-strained but he hardened his heart towards the desire to hold her. "Don't walk away without listening to me."_

_Shin Woo scoffed, "Why should I listen to you after all that you've done to me?"_

"_What I've done to you?" She scoffed in return. "What have I done to you Shin Woo? Please tell me! All I've done is become your friend even when at first I was afraid to be. I've been honest with you about my attraction and affection towards you even though I knew I was putting myself in the vulnerable position. And I've left you alone to figure out whether or not you wanted to be with me when you asked for space and time. Is that so awful Shin Woo?"_

_He turned around and seized her arms, "You've manipulated my emotions. You've toyed with me and watched me suffer through my feelings towards you. Is it that pleasurable for you, to see me struggle while at the same time you're going off and carrying on with him?" He pushed her away and sneered at her. "You aren't at all the woman everyone thinks you are." He turned and started away but was quickly swung around and yelped when he felt her fist sharply connect with his nose. As he held his nose she glared at him with her hands on her hips._

"_You're one to talk about manipulation Shin Woo. You've known about my past all this time and I've always been open with you about where I stand and yet you've always remained aloof towards me. Only when YOU feel like it have you ever shown me affection or in some way reciprocated my feelings. Then, when you are somehow challenged, either by a memory of my husband or now by Lee, you withdraw in anger and don't even bother trying to listen to the truth." She growled at him as he continued to cradle his now bleeding nose. "Don't you even dare try to make snap judgments about me. Though we've known each other for close to a year now, you seem to have overlooked a few things. One is that I don't find pleasure in other people's suffering."_

_He stood up straight and wiped at his nose, not caring that he'd stained his shirt cuff, "Oh and what else have I overlooked other than that you're a much more violent person than I originally thought?"_

"_I love you." She stood up to her full height and looked him straight in the eyes._

_He felt his blood turn to ice as his heart plummeted into his stomach._

_"Doubt me if you like. Scorn me, as I know you will. But the truth is that over our time together, through the struggles of becoming your friend and allowing myself to feel love again, I have come to love you Shin Woo."_

_He clenched his jaw and looked away. He was afraid that if he watched her cry out her confession he'd give in to her lies. He heard her voice waiver but still she spoke._

"_It isn't like the love I had for Joo Yeon. He was my childhood sweetheart and he died before we ever had a chance to truly make a life together. My love for him was soft, sweet, and childlike. The love that I've developed for you is like," she waved her arm in the air for a moment before continuing, "it's like our need for air or our need for water. When you love someone you breathe and drink them in. While I know I could live off of an oxygen tank or have an IV stuck in me in order to survive, I would much rather breathe in natural air and drink fresh water."_

"_What are you talking about?" He feigned ignorance as the gravity of her words scared the hell out of him._

_She poked him in the chest, _"_You idiot! I've come to see you as an intricate part of me, or at least as someone whom I want to become an intricate part of myself."_

_He closed his eyes and fought against his instinctive desire to believe her. All he really wanted to do was turn towards her and pull her into his arms, telling her that he felt the same. But he couldn't. She'd betrayed him. She wasn't the woman he'd come to see her as. That warm, loving woman was just a figment of his imagination._

_"I can't believe you Angel," he opened his eyes and hardened his heart against the tears he saw in her eyes, "not after what you've done with him."_

_Angle threw her hands in the air, "It isn't what you think! I don't-" He heard the door open and turned to see Lee hovering in the door way. Angel immediately fell silent, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Shin woo saw a look of triumph in Lee's eyes._

_"Angle," Lee extended his hand towards her, "the car is waiting for us."_

_ Angel gave Shin woo another pleading look, one that he ignored, before she sighed and took Lee's hand. Shin Woo felt his heart turn to ice in that moment. Not able to control himself he allow all the bitterness inside him to come out in full force._

"_I'm sure you told him the same thing." He turned towards her with the closest thing to hate he could muster visible on his face. "I'm sure you two will be very happy together." Before she could say anything else he pushed past her, ignoring the tearing he felt in his heart with every step that took him further away from her._


	5. Go Out and Get Her

He winced as he recalled the words he'd said to her, the glistening of her tears still fresh in his mind's eye. How could he have been so blind, so cruel, when she'd obviously been trying to tell him so much? Shin woo inwardly growled. He really could be an idiot sometimes, Angel was right about that.

Shin Woo turned towards Go Mi Nyu, "Do you know where she is right now?"

"Go Mi Nam does. He's back at the house." Go Mi Nyu studied his face and placed her hand on his, "Shin woo?"

Before he answered, Shin Woo surged to his feet and gathered his stuff. He had to find her. Even if she didn't accept him after the pain he'd caused her, he knew he would never be able to forgive himself if he didn't at least apologize to her. She'd loved him, that much was certain in retrospect, and even though initially he hadn't wanted to he knew now that at some point in time, without realizing it, he'd grown to love her in return. Then at the first test, he'd retreated and abandoned her. He certainly didn't deserve her but he knew he had to tell her the truth, at least for his own sake.

Go Mi Nyu watched quietly for a moment then asked, "What are you going to do?"

"What do you think I should do?" He asked while putting on his coat.

"Find her and tell her you love her."

Shin Woo smiled as he stood by the door, "Then I guess I'll just have to go do that then." He heard Go Mi Nyu yelp with delight as he left the studio.

As he passed a bored looking Tae Kyung in the hallway the man spoke up, "Don't be a dumbass about it." Tae Kyung called after him, not even bothering to look up from his cell.

Shin woo chuckled, "I'll try not to be."

"And even if she says no, don't give up." Tae Kyung finally looked up, "I don't know of anyone else who'd put up with you."

Shin woo chuckled and nodded before turning and hurrying down the stairs. He left the building and jumped into his car, carefully avoiding the psychotic fan club. As he drove home, his mind racing over what he'd been told, the radio suddenly began to play THAT song.

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. It just had to be this song didn't it? If he didn't find Angel and explain things to her, then he swore he would never listen to this song again. The memory it brought back was too strong and now that he knew the things he hadn't before, it shed a whole new light on the entire episode, making it that much stronger in his heart. The encounter had only occurred days before he had been attacked by Lee's sister.


	6. Wine and Dancing

_The house was empty, save the two of them. Jeremy was off with his date, a girl he'd been most happy to keep secret from all of them, Go Mi Nam was also on a date, while Go Mi Nyu and Tae Kyung were still off on that "spontaneous" getaway cruise they'd all practically forced the two to go on. Angel had stopped by to pick up some files Manager Ma had left there for her—obviously strategically placed in the vacant house except for Shin Woo—and impulsively Shin Woo had invited her to stay for dinner—he didn't like cooking for one anyway._

_After her initial shock, Angle had expressed delight at the idea and they'd shared a pleasant dinner, trading stories and finding that they actually had similar tastes but just enough differences to make conversation interesting. Now they sat on the patio, sipping at the remaining wine, while listening to some smooth jazz. _

_Since it was summer, Shin woo wore a light shirt and slacks. He wouldn't deny the fact that the shorts and tunic that Angel wore were both quite attractive, especially since she was currently perched on the railing with her long legs dangling down. She was watching the sky, and he was subtly watching her. One of her feet kept innocently tapping against his as she moved it to the beat of the song._

_"I didn't know that you liked this kind of music," she commented softly before taking a long sip of her wine._

_He nodded, "Just because I sing pop doesn't mean I don't appreciate different genres."_

_Angel chuckled, her face flushed from the alcohol and the heat. He too was feeling more relaxed, after—how many glasses—he wasn't surprised that he was more open with her. He found that, at some point in time after they'd come back from her husband's death anniversary, he was more comfortable around her. He even teased and accepted teasing from her on occasion. Shin Woo tipped his glass up and downed the last bit of his wine. He smiled to himself. He could consider Angel a friend now, and a friend that he found himself becoming more and more attracted to._

_"I've seen you at the clubs dancing," her comment drew him back to the present, "if one can even call that dancing."_

_"Are you insulting my dance moves?" He covered his heart and feigned offense._

_She chuckled, "No, I just don't see how bouncing up and down and swinging one's hips around in a very suggestive manner is labeled dancing and not having a conniption fit."_

_"I see what you're saying," he too shared a smile and laugh, "so what would you call dancing?"_

_He watched as Angel eyed the remaining sip of wine in her glass. A soft smile played at her lips and Shin Woo found that with the combinations of the warm air, the warming wine, and the smooth music, he was being lulled into a state of complete relaxation. He hadn't felt this relaxed and totally himself in a very long time._

_Angel finished off her wine and set her glass aside, throwing her leg back over and hopping to her feet. Shin Woo chuckled and reached for her when she swayed slightly from the sudden movements. She only laughed and swatted his hand away and righted herself, throwing him a delighted grin when she succeeded. _

_A faster song came on and almost immediately Angel began to tap one of her feet to the beat. He watched in amusement as she closed her eyes and began to "dance" around a bit. Even alone he could tell that she knew what she was doing, but dancing alone to this sort of music just didn't work. Taking pity on her, Shin Woo stood and approached her._

_"Here." She opened her eyes and found that he'd extended a hand to her. "Why don't you show me what you're talking about?"_

_Angel grinned, grabbing hold of his hand and pulling him rather jarring against her, "With pleasure."_

_Shin Woo couldn't stop laughing or smiling for the next few songs as Angel proceeded to both lead and allow him to lead them through a number of dance styles, some of which didn't always match the song. He hadn't laughed this much in ages and his head felt dizzy and light from all the laughter, and wine, and spins. He could tell Angel felt the same as when he spun her out she let go of his hand instead of keeping hold of it and ended up backing up against the railing._

_"Watch it!" He was still smiling as he lunged forward and grabbed her hips to keep her from falling too far backwards._

_Angel was still laughing when she grabbed hold of his shoulders in order to right herself. They shared a smile and a laugh for a moment before either of them realized that they were still holding onto one another even after the initial dangers was past. Shin Woo didn't feel panicked, like he often had before when standing close and still near her, but he figured it would be proper to let go and step away. _

_But as fate would have it, the song switched to a slow melodic one and when Shin Woo made to let go of her waist, Angel shook her head with a soft smile. He felt her clasp her fingers loosely together behind his neck before she began to sway to the music. He let her lead them into the song but once he was sure this was what she wanted, Shin Woo splayed his hands out on her lower back and held her close._

_They smiled at one another for the first few bars of the song but at some point in time she moved her arms and he'd moved his and now she held one of his hands while the other held onto his shoulder, with his other arm still wrapping around her back. She laid her head against his chest and he rested his chin on top of her head. There was nothing rushed about this exchange; just as the song was not hurried neither were they. Both were content to hold onto one another, soaking up the moment, and filing it away inside their minds._

_Shin Woo opened his eyes again when he noticed that the song was beginning to come to a close. He leaned his head back and looked down, Angel lifting her head and looking up at him. She was quite beautiful in that moment, not that she wasn't at other times, and Shin Woo felt himself leaning down towards her before he could even comprehend what such an action would lead to._

_The first brush against her lips was just as soft as the song they'd danced to. He took his time to bring his hands together to cup her face as he angled himself for a deeper kiss. Angel, for her part, held onto his forearms for support, her eyes closed. Shin Woo also closed his eyes when he kissed her again, allowing the kiss to be firmer and deeper this time._

_As he kissed her, Shin Woo felt a slight thrill shiver through his body. Perhaps she'd felt it to for moments later Angel had her arms wrapped around his neck and was drawing him even closer. He lowered his hands to her waist where he firmly held her against his body. He dipped his head and took the kiss to an even deeper level, his grip on her waist tightening. He felt her heart beat faster against his chest and he was sure he was mimicking hers in that moment._

_He honestly didn't know how long they were like that, nearly breathing each other into the other. He would have been happy to continue like that, and more, if it hadn't been for the inopportune timing of Jeremy's arrival. They both heard his car coming down the drive before they saw it. Shin Woo pulled back before Angel and the sight of her, eyes closed and lips swollen from his kisses, made his stomach tighten with a desire he hadn't felt in a very long time._

_"We should-" he hated to break the spell but he knew within minutes Jeremy would come dancing up the stairs and this was the last thing he wanted Jeremy to see._

_Angel opened her eyes, a blush creeping across her cheeks, "Oh yes," she extracted her arms from around his neck and with obvious reluctance stepped away, "um, well, uh," she patted at her hair, which he felt a inner sense of satisfaction at the fact that it did look like she'd just made out with someone, "thank you for dinner, and the wine, and dances." She combed her fingers through her hair and touched her lips briefly. His eyes followed her movements and when she touched her lips he immediately wanted to kiss her again. But he heard Jeremy's singing as he got out of his car and headed towards the house._

_"I had a good time too, Angel." Shin Woo smiled and nodded, doing his best to bury away his desire._

_She looked like she wanted to say something else but then Jeremy popped into view and almost immediately came rushing over to them to regale them with tales of his night. Angel listened for a few minutes before bowing out gracefully, citing an early morning meeting as her excuse. Shin Woo really wanted to walk her to her car but remained where he was and merely watched out of the corner of his car as she made her way to her car._

_"Dude." Shin Woo looked back to Jeremy. "Did she drink a lot?"_

_Shin Woo shook his head, "What do you mean?"_

_"She was really red in the face and was acting a little funny right when I got here." _

_Shin Woo shrugged and headed into the house, knowing that Jeremy would follow. He was just glad that Jeremy hadn't sensed that same thing about him. If he had then the whole band would soon know that he had a thing for Angel._


	7. Finding Her

Once he arrived at the house, Shin Woo stormed inside and prowled around until he found Go Mi Nam sitting peacefully in the studio.

"Where is she?" Shin Woo growled from the doorway.

Go Mi Nam didn't bother to look up from his magazine. "Who?"

Perhaps he was playing with fire now, playing dumb this way, but Go Mi Nam had always liked fire. His sister had inherited the more peace-loving nature of their parents while he, on the other hand, had somehow managed to inherit the rebellious streak that basically ran, sometimes hidden, in all humanity.

"You know who." Shin Woo surged forward and stood by the couch, glaring down at Go Mi Nam with fire in his normally calm eyes. His entire countenance spoke of desperation and Go Mi Nam found twisted pleasure in this fact. After so many months of one-sided affection on her part and Shin Woo's apparent indifference to her…yes Go Mi Nam was quite pleased with these turn of events.

Go Mi Nam shrugged, "Why should I tell you?" He laid his magazine aside and crossed his arms as he studied Shin Woo. "When Angel was here you never returned her affection except when you felt like it. Even though you knew her past, you still allowed her to soften towards you and led her on with your indifference and silence." Go Mi Nam finally stood up and despite the fact that Shin Woo was taller, he still stepped into the other man's personal space in challenge. "Why the sudden change? Why do you think you deserve to know where she is?"

He watched as Shin Woo's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. He almost expected the older man to hit him and was surprised when Shin Woo actually lowered his head and rubbed a hand across his face in a defeated manner. Go Mi Nam raised his eyebrows. Perhaps there truly was a change of heart here. How interesting…

"I was never indifferent to her." Shin Woo turned and collapsed on the couch. "I just never knew what to say to her, how to act around her. How was I supposed to act around a woman who, despite having already lost a husband, was falling in love with me?" Go Mi Nam watched his band mate rub his hands together. "I never wanted to accept the fact that the affection she had for me was real and not just because I reminded her of Joo Yeon." Shin Woo sighed. "I never wanted to accept her affection as real because I was afraid that I'd never live up to the level that Joo Yeon had been in her life. He was her first love, her lover, her husband. Who am I but a lookalike? Wouldn't that make me a usurper of her heart?"

Go Mi Nam was surprised that Shin Woo had even told him this much. Usually his band mate was withdrawn and only really opened up whenever Go MI Nyu came around. Yes, perhaps there had been a true change of heart.

"When did she ever give you leave to believe that her heart had warmed towards the shadow of her husband that she at first saw in you and not you as Shin Woo the man?" Go Mi Nam shook his head in frustration.

"The incident with Lee didn't help matters either." Shin Woo grumbled.

"You're so thick-headed!" Go Mi Nam reached out and smacked Shin Woo upside the head.

"Who's thick-headed?" Jeremy came in, bowl of noodles lovingly cradled in his hands.

Go Mi Nam pointed to the defeated Shin Woo, "He's just now realizing that Angel was sincere and was only with Lee to protect him."

"Idiot." Jeremy rolled his eyes as he plopped down on the couch beside his friend. "Anyone could've seen that." He ate a few bites of noodles then innocently looked back to Shin Woo. "What are you doing here anyway? Isn't Angel leaving for the States in like an hour?"

Jeremy looked up at Go Mi Nam in confusion when Go Mi Nam hissed an insult at him while Shin Woo surged to his feet and bolted out the door. He started up his car and his wheels spun out as he rushed down the drive and out onto the road.

Back in the house, "What?" Jeremy exclaimed, noodles falling out of his mouth.

Go Mi Nam stared at the now vacant door for a moment before shrugging and sitting back down, pulling the discarded magazine back into his lap. "I was going to torture him until the very last minute but now you ruined my fun."

Jeremy raised his eyebrows then shrugged and went back to eating. He figured everything would work out the way it should in the end. It had with the Go Mi Nyu/Tae Kyung incident and it would now with the Shin Woo/Angel incident.


	8. At Peace

"_Don't worry about anything. We've gotten a hold of Hwo Yong and convinced her that coming out with that story about Shin Woo would be a serious mistake." _

Angel clutched her carry-on closer to her body as she waited in the security line. She hoped Manager Ma was correct because if he wasn't then Shin Woo's career would be ruined, and all because she couldn't, no wouldn't, deal with Lee any longer.

"_What did you say?"_

_Manager Ma smiled, "It's not so much what I said as much as what Go Mi Nam said, or did." He grinned in an almost evil way and Angel gulped, suddenly worried about Hwo Yong's health. "So you needn't worry about a thing. Everything will work out."_

Angel glanced at her watch then back up at the security line. At this rate she'd miss her flight and have to wait for the next one.

"_Angel are you sure you still want to go through with this transfer? Now that the whole Lee thing is cleared up perhaps you can tell Shin Woo-"_

_She cut him off, "I'm not going to exhaust that route. I've said my peace to him. If he refuses to see the truth then there is nothing more I can do. Please just let things alone in regards to him and I." She reached out and patted his shoulder. "Thank you for all your help. I'll let you know when I arrive in America."_

The line finally started moving, causing Angel to sign in relief. The faster she got on the plane the easier it would be to keep herself from crying. She hadn't heard from Shin Woo since their altercation. She knew he was still hurting and would probably always nurse a grudge against her and that pained her more than anything. Above all other things she wanted him to be happy, even if it meant not being with her. She felt her eyes begin to burn and quickly took a deep breath and slowly let it out through her teeth. That was the last thing that she needed: to cry in the airport.

She hoisted her bag onto the conveyer and was just pulling off her coat when suddenly she was seized by the arms and pulled away. Before she had time to figure out what was happening, she found herself strongly embraced. She struggled for a moment until his familiar cologne calmed her.

"Shin Woo?" She kept her arms by her sides, just barely resisting the urge to hug him back.

He buried his face in her neck deeply inhaling her scent, relishing the feel of having her in his arms again. He didn't care if he was recognized by anyone, nor did her care about the airport officials who were beginning to gather around them and complain about their proximity to the security line. He was too wrapped up in the contentment that he felt at having her with him again.

"Shin Woo you need to let me go."

He tightened his hold, "I was blind enough to do that once before. I'm not about to do it again."

"Shin Woo," he heard her chuckle softly and drew back just enough to see her teary eyed smile, "I need to get my bag off the conveyer."

He looked baffled for a moment before he grinned and let her step back to get her bag. As soon as she had the bag, he seized her hand and pulled her after him towards the door. She figured he was probably taking them to a more private area to talk. She didn't mind because it was one thing to hug him in public but quite another to have it all out in public. Neither spoke until they were secure in a small lounge with Manager Ma guarding the door outside.

Angel set her bag down and shed her coat, trying to keep some space between them. Shin Woo seemed to understand this need as he stayed near the door and merely watched until she was seated.

"Go Mi Nyu told me about what happened with Lee."

Angel flinched at the abrupt way he began. She would rather have not remembered all the things Lee had said and done to make her friends her and Shin Woo suffer.

"She also told me about how blind and stupid I've been."

She gave him a soft smile. He had been rather dumb.

"Go Mi Nam also pointed out my errors, and Jeremy was quick to assist him."

Her smile grew larger. "So what are you saying now?"

Shin Woo came closer, hesitated a moment, then dropped to his knees in front of Angel. She squirmed in her chair for a moment then settled down when he drew her hands into his own.

"What you said about loving me like air and water," she nodded when he paused, "I feel the same towards you. I've always felt drawn towards you but it wasn't until more recently that I began to seriously picture a life with you." He saw her eyes tear up and quickly continued because he didn't know how much longer he would last if he saw her cry. "I want our love for each other to grow far beyond the stage it is in now." He raised her hand and kissed the palm. "I want to wake up with you next to me and fall asleep with you by my side."

Angel chuckled through her tears of joy, "What about daily chores and dishes? Are you going to be by my side then too or are you going to leave me to do all that alone?"

"Does that mean you still want to be with me?" Shin Woo couldn't keep the hope out of his voice.

"Shin Woo even when you were acting like the world's largest ass, I never stopped wanting to be with you." She beamed at him. "Of course I wanted to hit you," he touched his nose and she chuckled, "well hit you much harder than I did. But I never stopped loving you."

Shin Woo sighed in relief and looked back up at her when he felt her hand cup his face. He watched her silently as she drew her fingers across his face in a gesture they'd established when they'd first started liking each other.

_His eyes shot open and he stared up at Angel in surprise. She merely smiled down at him as she continued to map out his face with her soft finger tips._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Getting to know you."_

_Shin Woo smiled, "Don't people usually talk in getting to know each other?"_

"_Words can wait," she leaned down, a mischievous smile gracing her lips, "until some other day."_

"What are you doing?" he asked with a mischievous smile.

Her smile matched his own, "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It feels like you're getting to know me." He waited until her fingers traced his lips before he spoke again. "What do you think about me?"

She pulled his face closer and whispered against his lips, "I think I don't know you quite as well as I'd like to."

He smiled into the kiss they exchanged as joy lit up inside his heart.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed. Please review and let me know what you think. _


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